I
had been hearing about wondrous DACs from Polish manufacturer LampizatOr for
quite a while, but had not had a chance to listen to any of them. But last
spring when I spent some time at the AXPONA
show near Chicago, I made a point of visiting a couple of rooms featuring them. My review
of the LampizatOr Generation 5 Level 4 DAC shows how much more enjoyment you can get from your music with the right
setup. Often in the past I have found that it is hard to isolate the contribution of a
given component to an unfamiliar system in an unfamiliar – and often sonically
compromised – hotel room. But this time the sound coming through those digital
sources was so superb, and so much more musical than even good hi-rez setups
heard at previous shows, that I wanted to learn more. I spoke to Fred Ainsley of
LampizatOr North America, and we arranged for me to do the first review of the
soon-to-be-released Generation 5 LampizatOr Level 4, the entry-level DAC offered
in North America.

At the show I had heard both a Level 4 and a
top-of-the-line Level 7 DAC. The Level 7 was beautiful-sounding, but it is a
two-chassis product with a five-figure price. My audio setup simply didn't have
room for two new chassis, and even if I fell in love with the Level 7 my
exchequer couldn’t accommodate the price. The Level 4 has a single chassis,
and while it is not inexpensive, I could stretch my budget enough to acquire it
if I had to have it.

For several years I have been listening to a
ModWright-modified Denon 3910 multi-format player. Though that player is pretty
long in the tooth for a digital component, with its tube output stage it has had
a richness and musical "rightness" that have made it beat out
competition from a number of standalone solid-state DACs. A couple of years ago
I replaced its original Tung-Sol NOS 5687s with 6900s. Originally developed for
military use by Bendix and later manufactured by Mu, the 6900s are superior in
every way: detail resolution, full harmonics, and extended frequency response
with especially powerful and well defined bass. With those tubes the
ModWright/Denon has delivered performance closer to – though still not equal
to – my analog rig. After that experience I asked that my Generation 5 review
DAC be designed for the 6900s.

My plan was to use the ModWright/Denon as the
transport for the LampizatOr DAC via SP/DIF. To get me started, Fred Ainsley
sent me a Level 4 Generation 4 unit so I could have a basis for judging the
improvements in the Generation 5. The comparison would not be exact, as the
Generation 4 had ECC182 tubes. Early on I was puzzled when the Generation 4
suddenly stopped playing. After some initial panic I remembered (picture Homer
Simpson hitting himself on the forehead and shouting "DOH!") that
because the ModWright/Denon had been programmed to switch automatically to SACD
when a hybrid disc was loaded, and the DAC reads only the disc’s Redbook
layer. The Denon had to be reprogrammed. After that was done I had a few days to
play with the Generation 4. A couple of weeks later my Generation 5 review unit
arrived from Poland after it had been tested and burned in for a several days.

About LampizatOr

All LampizatOr products are hand-built in Poland by
designer Lukasz Fikus and a small team. In addition to the DACs, the company's
preamplifiers, amplifiers, transports and music streamers are all available in
North America. Only cables, speakers and DIY products are not imported. Each
unit is built to order, and undergoes extensive testing, burn-in and music
listening before being shipped. Retail customers get a seven-day money-back
guarantee, and a five-year warranty that is transferable if the unit is sold. If
a component returned to the factory for upgrades, that transaction generates a
new five-year warranty. That bespeaks real confidence and commitment to support
the customers that are most impressive.

Every LampizatOr DAC is in effect custom-built,
with PCM or DSD decoding formats, RCA, XLR or BNC output connectors, and a
choice of capacitor upgrades. Level 4 design highlights include tube
rectification, tube output stage, three chokes and an almost electrolite-less
power supply. It uses some of the highest-quality parts available, such as a
superior digital board capable of 32-bit/384kHz playback. Prospective buyers are
encouraged to contact LampizatOr to discuss what they want to have in any
LampizatOr DAC.

With all the possible variations, the prices
reflect the chosen features for each DAC. The base MSRP for my Level 4
Generation 5 DAC was $4195. A capacitor upgrade added $300 and DSD added $700,
bringing the price to $5195. RCA outputs and USB & S/PDIF inputs did not
incur any additional amount.

The LampizatOr European site is well worth reading to understand Lukasz Fikus's design approach, which is
very different from common trends in digital designs. For instance, he does not
believe in oversampling. No switching power supplies are used, only linear power
supplies with custom-wound transformers. Lukasz believes that tubes are
essential. He spurns the commonly used DAC chips, uniquely using a combination
of far more expensive parts. Every hand-built DAC uses very short point-to-point
silver-in-Teflon wiring. There are many other points, but the reader can see
those on the website. I mention this manifesto because it illuminates the
LampizatOr design philosophy.

Review Setup

This review will describe the Level 4 Generation 5
using discs played on my Denon transport. I wanted the DSD capability included
because I plan to implement DSD computer audio in 2015. I had originally planned
that step for two years ago, but in September 2012 I had a stroke that put me
out of action for a year. I will have a bit of a learning curve, as I am not a
skilled computer user, and my visual impairment exacerbates such endeavors. But
after I have experienced the LampizatOr decoding DSD in my system, I will write
a follow-up review covering that feature.

When my Generation 5 DAC arrived, there were a
few surprises. Luckily I had very competent help in unpacking and installing the
DAC. Joe Jurzec, a partner in Purity Audio Design and an admirer of my Wells
Audio Innamorata power amplifiers, generously volunteered to help. I was
surprised by the packing. The DAC was wrapped in several feet of plastic wrap
and protected primarily by flimsy-looking sheets of Styrofoam. LampizatOr says
this packing has adequately protected units shipped from Poland, but I think
custom-fitted inserts would be more protective. There was no power cord (not a
problem as I use very good aftermarket power cords), and no owner’s manual.
There was a single sheet of basic hookup instructions, and a nice note from
Lukasz commending my choice of the 6900 tubes, which he called "the crème
de la crème of output tubes."

At first glance the Level 4 doesn’t look like a
tube DAC. It has a sturdy black steel casing with no visible tubes, or even heat
vents, in the top. Turning the chassis over, one sees that the tubes are
inserted through the bottom of the chassis, protruding slightly from the bottom
panel. The DAC has four tall feet to provide clearance and ventilation. There is
no digital display on the front panel, only the LampizatOr logo, with the
upper-case "O" surrounding a pushbutton switch for selecting PCM
S/PDIF or DSD USB inputs. The power switch – and somewhat confusingly-- input
switch -- are on the rear panel. For the S/PDIF connection I chose an IXOS
digital cable. That company is out of business, but this cable sounds superb.

Since he knew that I planned to use my NOS 6900
output tubes in the DAC, Lukasz supplied the Generation 5 with good
modern-manufacture 5687s. (NOS 6900s are rare these days.) The ModWright/Denon
requires tubes in the output stage, although they are not in the S/PDIF digital
out circuit. Joe Jurzec switched the tubes, placing my 6900s in the DAC and the
5687s in the Denon. Now I was ready to start listening.

First Impressions

Before we installed the Generation 5, I had spent an
afternoon listening to a range of music through my ModWright/Denon player.
During this time I used quite a few hybrid SACDs, which were automatically
played using the SACD layer of each hybrid. The first things I wanted to discern
were, first, what was the difference when the NOS 6900s were moved from the
ModWright/Denon to the LampizatOr; and secondly, what were the differences
between hearing the SACD layer of a hybrid SACD through the ModWright/Denon
player versus the Redbook layer through the LampizatOr.

Those comparisons were not very difficult. From
the beginning, playing the new Valery Gergiev/London Symphony Orchestra hybrid
of the Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique,
the sonic improvements were clear. The LSO Live label's discs typically have
fine soundstaging, but the LampizatOr widened and deepened the stage, with more
precise, "visible" imaging. The low strings and drums, so important in
the orchestration of this work, had greater depth and power than I had
previously heard. At the other end of the frequency spectrum the violins were
more open and beautifully extended, and the "bite" of the trumpet was more
present than I typically hear on recordings-- but hear regularly in Orchestra
Hall during my frequent Chicago Symphony Orchestra concerts.

A completely different recording environment is
heard on the Michael Tilson Thomas/San Francisco Symphony performance of Leonard
Bernstein's complete score of West Side Story.
This is now the definitive recording of that great musical. It was recorded in
concert, and the lively soundstage of the recording suggests that attention was
paid to spatial relationships during the event. A case in point is the "Quintet,"
a very operatic ensemble passage in which the rival Sharks and Jets, and Tony,
Maria and Anita all sing passionately about the coming climactic night. Playing
this ensemble through the LampizatOr let me hear every individual strand
clearly, with every word easily intelligible.

Solo piano, always a test for audio systems,
quite revealing when I played Paul Lewis's Schubert Wanderer
Fantasy. This had sounded good in SACD through the ModWright/Denon, but the
Redbook layer through the Generation 5 delivered more explosive dynamics and a
deeper, more articulate capturing of the left hand. These differences continued
to emerge through many hybrid SACDs. The Generation 5 consistently presented
more natural reproduction from Redbook than the ModWright/Denon could achieve
from SACD.

Digital Versus Analog: The
Toughest Test

I am a diehard analog lover. After decades of
collecting records, my collection of LPs numbers over 5,000. In recent years I
have treasured my fully tricked-out VPI Aries 3 turntable – especially after
installing the Steinmusic Aventurin 6 cartridge, which I chose for a 2013 Blue
Note award. As stated earlier in this review, my goal when listening to CDs has
been to come as close as possible to what I hear through analog.

After putting the 6900 tubes into the ModWright/Denon
player, listening to CDs had become more enjoyable -- way better than the old
days, when I could seldom listen to digital for more than an hour or so at a
time. For this review I decided to match strength to strength.

The Antal Dorati / LSO Stravinsky Firebird
on Mercury is the greatest recording ever of that piece. For this comparison I
played the Classic Records 45 rpm,180 gram, single-sided pressings against the
remastered Mercury CD. I had made this same comparison using the ModWright/Denon
player, and although the CD was impressive, there was a clear improvement over
the CD from that superb LP reissue. With the Generation 5, it was really touch
and go between them. If anything, during the thrillingly raucous "Infernal
Dance," it was almost impossible to choose one over the other. I was
especially amazed that bass response, which the Stein cartridge captures better
than any cartridge I have ever heard, was essentially matched by the DAC.

I had similar results pitting the Classic Records
45 RPM, 180 gram, single-sided pressings of the Fritz Reiner/Chicago Respighi Pines
& Fountains of Rome against the remastered RCA CD. The opening
movement, "The Pines of the Villa Borghese," has especially
challenging passages for high strings, as they mimic water dancing in sunlight.
This is one of the great recordings ever made by my beloved CSO, and again the
digital experience yielded little if anything to that great LP reissue.

I have always found the limited-edition LP of
Patricia Barber's wonderful Modern Cool
more revealing sonically than the CD, even after Mobil Fidelity Sound Lab did a
superior CD reissue. Through the Generation 5, the vocals became more natural
and intelligible, and the original bass-heavy sound was much better controlled.

All of the titles discussed above are generally
recognized as "audiophile" recordings. But I was curious about other
genres and recording styles. I picked two favorite old rock albums: Yellow
Moon by the Neville Brothers and Los Lobos' The
Neighborhood. On both of those I had always found the CDs relatively
unpleasant to listen to, and I preferred the LPs. The Generation 5 made the CDs
more fun to hear, and pretty much equal to the LPs. Although the DAC was
certainly giving me more information than I had heard before, it was as if it
managed to "throw away" most of the digital glare and edginess.
Ultimately, I think that what I like best about the LampizatOr is how it allows
me to enjoy CDs – even from the early days of digital – that were previously
sufficiently poor sounding to make me reluctant to play them. I feel as if I
have gained virtually a whole new CD library!

The Bottom Line

As much as I love my analog setup, especially after
adding the Stein cartridge last year, my physical disabilities make it a lot
more work to play an LP. Although I enjoyed my ModWright/Denon player more
than any previous digital sources in my system, I still went to LPs when I
wanted to hear the best sound my system could produce. Now I can just relax and
enjoy CDs, without feeling that I am compromising. The LampizatOr Level 4
Generation 5 DAC essentially frees me from worrying about the sound and lets me
relax and enjoy the music.

At a retail price of $5195, the Generation 5 is a
substantial purchase. But to me it gives great value for the degree of listening
pleasure it delivers. I expect that when I have mastered DSD computer audio it
will prove to be even more of a bargain. I may also check out whether a newer
and better disc transport will get even better results from my CD library. As
I'm sure you’ve already figured out, this wonderful DAC, as Dylan would sing,
"ain't goin' nowhere."